


Counting Stars

by buzzbug82



Series: Destiny!AU series [1]
Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Related, Drama, Fluff and Angst, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-20 00:04:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1489282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buzzbug82/pseuds/buzzbug82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"But I think that my soul knew something that my body and my mind didn't know yet. It knew that our hands were meant to hold each others, fearlessly and forever, which is why it's never felt like I've been getting to know you. It's always felt like I was remembering you from something, as if every lifetime you and I have lived, we've chosen to come back and find each other and fall in love all over again, and over and over for all eternity."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Counting Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at my tumblr in November 2013 and I decided to compile all my fics under one roof so here it is. I decided to edit this piece a little bit too.

 

**17.**

It is a quiet neighbourhood. There’s no car passing by the road and most residents are in their homes. Darren looks around the large lawn and all he can hear is the sound of crickets and his parents moving the furniture around the house. The moving trucks just left a few minutes ago as Darren holds tight to the ball given by one of the mover. The woman had winked at him and told him that the ball is a birthday gift. It is his 10th birthday today and he wonders how that woman knows; maybe his parents mentioned it to the movers along the way.

Darren puts the ball down on the grass and kicks it. He plays for almost half an hour before he gets frustrated while thinking about having to go to a new school and find new friends when he accidently kicks the ball hard enough for the ball to fly into his neighbour’s lawn.

After making sure he has not break anything belongs to his neighbour, Darren tiptoes around the wooden gate and peers among the bushes. He sees a boy near his age holding the ball with a confused look on his face.

“Hey,” Darren calls out. The boy startles and let go of the ball, letting it rolls to the side of the gate. “I’m sorry but can I have the ball back? It’s my birthday gift.”

The boy blinks and nods slowly. Darren beams and skips to take the ball. He turns back to the boy who is holding a worn-out book and a pencil.

“What is that?”

The boy seems nervous before answering. “My book.”

“Oh, cool. I love reading.” Darren grins wide and walks to the boy. “I’m Darren. I just moved in next to your house.”

“… I’m Chris,” the boy replies and Darren is impressed with his melodic voice and colourful eyes. “I know; I just saw the trucks.”

Darren looks at the boy intently. The boy doesn’t even meet his sight. Maybe he’s just shy. “Can I be your friend? I don’t know anyone in here.”

The smile the boy gives him will be set in Darren’s mind forever. “Sure.”

Darren looks at the boy intently. The boy doesn’t even meet his sight. Maybe he’s just shy. “Can I be your friend? I don’t know anyone in here.” But Darren is not. His brother used to say he’s way too friendly for his own good. Darren doesn’t know what harm could come in that. Maybe he can use it to get new friends at his new school. And it starts with this boy right here.

The smile the boy gives him will be set in Darren’s mind forever. “Sure.”

They walk to Darren’s lawn and Darren passes the ball to Chris. The pale boy with the pretty eyes puts down his book and joins him. But then after a few minutes they both grow tired of a meaningless game and starts talking about Chris’s book. Darren is fascinated by Chris’s imagination and he exclaims he loves Disney movies and fairytales too, and thus they start singing loudly of Disney songs until Darren’s mother comes out.

“Oh, hello,” Cerina smiles happily, glad that Darren is making friends at the new town.

Chris is bashful at caught singing loudly; he knows his voice is girlish and he’s glad Darren doesn’t make fun of him like other boys.

Darren jumps and goes to his mother, tugging Chris along. “Mom, this is Chris. He lives right next door. And he loves Disney movies like I do! And his voice is so pretty!”

Cerina chuckles at Chris’s red cheeks. “Yes, I’ve heard. I’m so glad you two become such fast friends,” she looks at Chris. “We’re having a small party for Darren’s birthday tonight, would you like to come? I can ask your mother for you.”

Chris doesn’t know what to say, but the hopeful looks Darren shot at him is making it to say no. So instead, he said, “Yes, please, I would love to.”

Cerina is delighted. “You are so polite, I love you already.”

Darren grins happily.

 

**9.**

“I can’t get engaged to him! We don’t even know each other!” Chris shouts, pointing towards Darren who is now gaping in great resemblance of a fish.

“Your Excellency, the engagement will bring many benefits to our country. The war can be stop, and our people don’t need to suffer.” The advisor puts a calm hand on Chris’s shoulder.

They are in the Conference Hall, where the meeting of the nobles usually held. The Ten Nobles of the kingdom are seated around the round table; some with stoic features, some with amusement.  The kingdom’s ruler has just passed away six months ago and they still couldn’t decide on the new ruler. The King didn’t leave any heir and his consort passed away long before him. That’s why the other opposing country declares war on their kingdom, thinking they are in fragile state. Chris’s mother is one of the Ten Nobles’ representatives, sitting at the round table while Chris stands behind her chair.

A week ago, the ruler of the country they currently in war died because of a stroke and his son took over the throne and requested a meeting and a proposal to the kingdom.

“Who gave this ridiculous idea?” Chris glares at the nobles sitting around the table. “There are many other ways to stop the war, why do I need to marry this idiot?”

“Your Excellency…”

“No, it’s okay.” Darren holds his hand up, stopping the advisor. “I’m the one who suggested it.”

Chris glares at him. “Why would you do that?”

“I had always wanted to ask for your hand,” Darren smiles and stands, walking to where Chris is standing in fury. “I fell in love with you the first time I laid my eyes on you. I would love for our marriage to benefits both our countries and create a strong alliance.” He doesn’t mention there’s a woman in the battlefield who told him to get his ass move to get the one he always had his eyes on and stop the fucking war, in exact words.

Chris’s cheeks reddened immediately, as the nobles smiles gratefully. Darren bows and takes Chris’s hand and kisses the knuckles, looking up at him beneath his eyelashes. “Would I have the honour of having you as my Prince Consort?”

Chris looks around the room, taking in his mother’s twinkling eyes and the nobles’ urges for him to accept it.

“… Fine,” Chris mutters, cheeks still in pink when he steals a glance at Darren. “I guess… I’ll accept it, for our kingdoms.”

The whole room burst into celebration as people rise from their chairs and starts cheering for the new engaged couple. Chris’s mother takes out her handkerchief and dabs the corner of her eye. Darren grins widely and engulfs Chris in big hug, kissing him fiercely.

“But!” Chris pulls himself from Darren who pouts like a child. “We still can’t decide on who is the next king, we can't leave this kingdom without a ruler,” he states the obvious. The advisor actually smiles and brings a piece of paper with a feather pen to him.

“We’ve discussed this before you came in; we’re going to join hands with King Darren’s country as you are now to become His Majesty’s husband and make you, Your Excellency Chris, as the heir to the throne.” The advisor then blinks. “Oh right, I should start calling you Your Majesty.”

The rest of the nobles stand as Chris is still befuddles at the recent event. All of them, including his mother, bow at him in respect.

“Long live the king!”

 

**23.**  

A crowd has gathered around the riser created for such occasion. A boy not fifteen years of age is drag to the riser by two bulky men wearing armour. The boy has his hands tied on his back, shirtless and feet full of blisters. His beautiful face is hidden by dirt and his unruly black curls, and his thin body smears with blood from his cuts and bruises.

“This boy!” One of the bulky men shouts in gruff voice. He is the kingdom’s guard on patrol. “Has committed a crime that has been unforgivable by the kingdom’s law; stolen a loaf of bread and hasn’t been able to return it to the owner.”

The crowd starts to whisper among themselves. There are many street children in the kingdom, roaming around with hungry tummies and would do anything to survive. This is not the first time a child had been executed for stealing out of hunger.  Some people look at the boy with pity, but not brave enough to go against the guards.

“Thus, this boy has to face his death. Off with his head!”

The other bulky man raises his sword and swings it to the boy’s neck, but the sword is knocked out of his hand before it reaches the boy. The man howls in pain, a large rock rests beside the sword that is now lying on the ground.

A figure run past the guards and in one swift motion, grabs the boy and run down to the crowd. The crowd screams and get out of the way, the two guards quickly got off their shocks and chases the figure that just saved the boy.

“Ch— Chris,” the boy groans in pain. “Don’t—I told you not to do this.”

“Shut up,” Chris bit his lips and ducks a few railings and people passing by and glances back; the guards are still hot on their trail. “You stole that for us; you’re not going to die alone just because you stole that bread to save us—me.”

Darren grabs Chris’s arm. “But they’re going to find us soon, no matter where we hide. And I don’t want you to die.”

“I told you to shut up, Darren.” Chris runs into a dead-end and with a flick of his wrist, climbs to the roof with ease even while carrying Darren. “There’s someone willing to help us escape.”

“Who?”

The question is not meet with a reply, as Chris also seems to be thinking about it. “I don’t know, I never met her before.”

They reach a clear ground behind a few blocks of houses with chimneys. A woman is waiting with a brown horse and a bag-sack tied at the horse’s side.

“You got him,” the woman claps merrily and gives the rein to Chris. “Here, just ride out of the kingdom’s gate-- I already had it open for you—and go to the south. I have a few coins, medicine, food and clothes for you in the bag.”

“Thank you,” Chris deposits Darren on the horse, smiling gratefully to the woman. “Thank you so much, how could I ever repay you?”

The woman chuckles and shakes her head, her strawberry-blond hair flows on her back. “Just stay alive.”

Chris nods at her. “We will,” He jumps on the horse, behind Darren and kicks the horse. They ride out of the kingdom and gone to the south.

 

**44.**

Chris holds on to his breath as he steps into the magnificent mansion. The walls are decorated with many paintings from various artists and he feels himself being intimidated by them. His fingers tightened around his painting utensils.

“Welcome to Dobry Manor!” A man with black curls gelled into perfection walks down the grand stairs and holds out his arms, white teeth peeking under his wide grin. “I’m Darren, master of the house. I believe you are Chris, the famous painter.”

Chris smiles and bows to him. “I’m just a mere painter with no names to behold, sir.”

“That’s preposterous! I’ve seen you work, they are absolutely amazing! I’m a fan!” Darren shakes hand with Chris, his grip firm and warm. “I’m a collector, you see. And when I saw something amazing, I just had to have it. And you, sir,” Darren winks at him. “Is beyond amazing.”

Chris blushes at the compliment. “I’m… ah, thank you, you’re so kind.”

“Now, let’s get down to business,” Darren snaps his fingers, and a butler with grey hair and a maid with strawberry-blond hair come out. “Take Mr Chris to the room and help him get ready for the painting. Tend to all his needs,” He turns to Chris and smiles. “I want an original work from you, so I want you to paint me, is that all right?”

“Of course, you are my client.” Chris replies.

“Excellent! Now let me go change clothes and I’ll meet you in twenty minutes.” With that, Darren turns and climbs back the stairs. Chris grabs his bag and follows the butler and the maid and leads him to one of the biggest room Chris had ever seen. It has rich tapestries and heavy curtains with furniture made by the finest materials. The chandelier hangs low from the high ceiling.

The maid helps him set up his painting utensils and the butler drags the couch to position it by the window. Another maid comes in to serve tea and snacks.

Twenty minutes later, Darren comes into the room and gestures his workers out of the room and closes the door.

“Well, I’m ready.” He sheds the robe he was wearing and Chris is shock into speechless when he sees Darren is wearing nothing underneath the robe. Darren smirks at him and sits on the couch, stretching his legs.

Chris swallows, nods in embarrassment and starts mixing the colours for his painting.

After an hour with Darren sitting still while Chris glances up at him once in a while to capture the scene, Darren speaks up, his smile never leaves his handsome feature. “Have I told you when I saw something amazing, I just had to have it?”

Chris stops for a moment before resuming his work. “Yes, indeed you have, sir.”

“And you, Chris, is amazing.”

Chris chuckles. “As you said before, sir.”

Darren huffs a snort, sitting up and stands, walking slowly to where Chris seats with a brush on his hand. Chris stares at him until Darren is near enough that he can counts all the muscles and bones protruded from his body.

Chris drops his brush when Darren leans down to capture his lips.

In that same room, Darren makes love to him over and over, the painting and the brush long forgotten, as they embark in the passion and lust for each other. Darren trails Chris’s freckles with his tongue and fingers, Chris’s digits bury in Darren’s curls right up to his scalp, and the burn of their love making fresh and hot and making their toes curl.

“You are amazing,” Darren mutters, lips roam from Chris lips to his cheek and then his temple. “I want you forever.”

Chris chuckles at him and closes his eyes. “Forever seems like a long,  _long_  time…”

“It won’t be enough,”

Chris is sleepy, and he can only open his eyelids long enough to see the determine look Darren has. He just smiles and pats Darren’s shoulder, slowly falling asleep with Darren still staring at him.

“Forever will never be enough to be with you.”

 

**49.**

There’s a park a few blocks from Chris’s house at Laurel Canyon and when he walks back from a late dinner at a little café within walking distance he decides to stop by. The park is quiet with only the sound of cicadas, streetlamps shine down the pavements. Chris finds a bench and opens the can of diet coke he bought at the vending machine.

His weekend is over and he thinks about the scripts for  _Glee_  he had to go through when he goes home for tomorrow’s shoot. Chris is glad he didn’t have many scenes in the episode so he doesn’t have to memorize a lot of lines. 

Out of nowhere, a spiral of light appears a few meters from him. Chris jumps and let out a surprise yelp, his diet coke drops and spills on the ground. The light grows bigger as it changes color from white to bluish-purple and there’s a whirlwind sound vibrating from it. The light seems like it’s hanging in the air.

A girl jumps out from light and falls to the ground.

The spiral of light grows smaller and with a huff, it fades into the darkness of the night.

The girl on the ground groans and shakes her long, strawberry-blond hair and sits up, dusting off her palms.

Chris slowly approaches the girl. “Hey, are you—“

“That’s it!” The girl is suddenly up on her feet, glaring and pointing at the spot where the spiral of light just disappeared. “Next time, if you drop me a like a rag of doll again, I’ll throw a horse at you!”

She turns around, facing Chris with hands over her hip. She stares at Chris from head to toe. Her eyebrows furrowed. “… What’s your name?”

Isn’t that what he was supposed to ask? Chris asks himself.

“I think you’re the one who should be telling me your name,” Chris replies, eyeing the girl in suspicion. “You’re the one who fell from the sky.”

The girl laughs loud and long. “Good, that’s very good.” She pats his arm and it takes everything in Chris not to flinch. He just saw the girl fell from a spiral of light, who can blame him? “You had always been like this, very good.”

She turns around and watches over her surrounding; her dirty gown sweeps the dirt on the ground as she walks in circles.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Chris calls out, stopping her on track. She blinks at him.

“I don’t recall you asking me anything,” she gives him a sweet smile and continues walking in circles.

Chris crosses his arms. “What’s your name?”

The girl stops and appears to be thinking. “I guess you can call me Violet.”

The way the girl just giggles made Chris raises an eyebrow. “Is that your real name?”

“Of course not!” She exclaims; her eyes twinkle in mirth as if Chris just asked something ridiculous. “Names are very important. Giving away names could means giving away a part of your life,”

“But you just asked mine.”

“I was just making sure!” she pouts and skips to the fountain. “Oh, look, there is fish in this world too!”

Chris is wondering whether he was hallucinating by that time. Maybe he falls asleep on the bench out of exhaustion.

“Wait, what place is this?” She gasps when she just realizes that she doesn’t know where she is and walks back to Chris, eyes peering curiously to him. “What year is this?”

“Eh…” Chris is surprise by that question. “It’s… 2013?”

“Is that a question?” She frowns. “I just got here, if you haven’t notice.”

“Sorry, it’s year 2013.”

“And what place is this?”

“Los Angeles, California.”

“Ah!” Her face lights up and she claps happily, dancing around in circles. “This is the place! I’ve always wanted to come back here! Oh this is so great, I can’t wait to meet…” she turns to face Chris again, her eyes wide in excitement. “What’s your name?”

“You just said giving away names…”

“I know what I said, handsome,” she rolls her eyes. “Believe me, I know millions of names and I never took away a part of their lives, it’s one of the rules I had to follow. Well, except if they give it to me willingly,” she shrugs and Chris is thinking whether it’s possible to be more confused than he already is. “Now tell me before I start suggesting names and figures it out by myself.”

Chris let out a laugh and smirks. “You’re welcome to try.”

“… Is it Chris?”

The girl laughs loudly when Chris’s eyes widened. “How did you…”

“Well your face, voice and name doesn’t really change much no matter where,” she throws a wink at him and looks down on her gown. “Damn, it,” she snags the gown out of the ground. “Wait, if you’re Chris, then why are you alone?”

“Excuse me?”

“Isn’t there…” she looks back at him, biting her lips, contemplating her question. That was the first time he sees her looks nervous. “Well, I think there should be someone with you?”

“What? No. I live alone. Well, I have a few pets…”

She nods. “I see,”

“Look, I’m…” Chris pinches the bridge of his nose. He is getting a massive headache and he has to get to the set early tomorrow. “I really should go, I think you’re just a pigment of my imagination right now and a girl jumping out of lights from nowhere is not really a regular occurrence here so…”

“Of course it’s not; this is only the third time I come here! I can’t actually keep coming, I’m busy too you know,” she pouts and mumbles. “Though the first two times I haven’t made my existence appear in front of either of you two so yeah, I understand…”

“So now I’m just going to walk home and get into bed and sleep.” He nods to himself as if he just reaches an understatement, ignoring her mumbling. “Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do.”

“You can’t leave me here!” She suddenly shrieks, pulling on his arm. Her voice doesn’t sound as panic as her action though, there’s still that mischievous glint in her eyes that Chris saw when she first laid eyes on him.

“Tell me one reason why I can’t leave you, an imagination of my mind?”

“One, I’m not your imagination. And two, you’re not the kind of person who would leave a defenceless girl out here alone, aren’t you?”

Chris stares at her. “I don’t even know if you  _are a girl_.”

“Rude,” She mutters, letting go of his arm and clicks her tongue at him. “Okay, fine. What do you want to know about me?”

“Everything.”

“Well, that’s going to be a very,  _very long story._ ”

“I have time.”

“No, it’s literally a very,  _very,_  long story; like three-billions years kind of story.”

Chris looks at her as if she just lost her mind. But then again, everything since he saw the light didn’t make any sense to him either.

The girl sighs. “People—I mean, some people, called me a traveller, because I travel across universe. Others called me ‘the Light’ because, well, as you saw I travel using lights and also because sometimes I disappear like the lights,” she giggles as she drags the long tail of her gown to the bench and sits.

“So, you’re saying you’re a time-traveller?”

She seems to give a thought about it. “I don’t think so, because time-travellers are human, and the eldest time-traveller I’ve ever met was five hundred years old.” She grins at Chris’s surprised face. “Yeah, time-travel is possible. Only to a certain people though, and no it’s not necessarily people from the future.”

“How long have you been travelling?”

“Ten-thousand years,” she appears to be proud of her achievement. “By the way, this is 49th time I’ve met you.” She smiles when she sees the shock on Chris’s face. “Yes, the last time I met you, you are a famous painter in Richenvu --ah, it’s not a country from your world, it’s too far away, you normal humans can’t reach-- But anyway, I did meet the past you from this world in 1241, you saved a boy’s life from execution and you were just 15 years old.”

There’s a silent when she finishes, her eyes gleams and twinkles with green stars as she kicks the ground. Lights spark in vibrant blue every time her feet touch the soil ground. Chris doesn’t want to believe a word she said; it was like something that came out of fantasy novels and he is definitely not prepares for it. But the spiral light, the girl fell from the light, the way she dresses, the way her eyes shine and the sparks appears from her heels, everything seems ridiculously believable.

“… What’s your real name?”

The girl smiles widely. “I really do prefer you call me Violet in this world, though. Besides I don’t think calling my real name will make any sense.”

“My whole night tonight doesn’t make any sense,” Chris retorts and she laughs, throwing her head back.

“Touché. Well, I think you deserve it. I never lied to you all these time anyway,” she leaves the bench and stands in front of Chris, cocking her head to examine him and nodded. “I just got a question, though.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know someone name Darren?”

Chris frowns, a rush of protectiveness sweeps across his being. He sneaks his hand in his pocket and clutches his phone where there’s a picture of him and Darren set as wallpaper. “What does it to you?”

Her eyes glances at the hand he hides in his pocket, the corner of her lips twitches upward. “Nothing,” she shrugs, looking up at Chris’s face. “Just checking.”

Chris nods. “Then, what’s your real name?”

She smiles. “It’s Destiny.”

“I am  _Destiny_.”

 

**1.**

The spiral light grows smaller when Destiny steps out of it, and disappears when the end of her black boots clad feet touch the marble ground. She smiles when she sees Chris sitting at the small coffee table ready with a pot of lime-rose tea and baby cupcakes.

“Hey,” she sits at the small chair as Chris pours her a cup of tea. “Long time no see.”

Chris smiles at her. “I thought you will be gone longer.”

She chuckles as she inhales the aroma of her favorite tea. “I did,” she casts a look around the wide coliseum. “Time passes slower in here, it seems.”

“Ah,” Chris nods. “I see what you mean.”

“Where’s your husband?”

“Darren is out, teaching the children to control their power.” Chris rolls his eyes fondly. “I told him to let they discover it slowly at their own pace, but he’s so stubborn.”

“He’s just excited that his second child is able to control earth-element like he does,” she lets out a small sound of appreciation when the tea slides down her throat. Teas made by blueberry candy roses can only be found in that universe.

“So how was your journey?” Chris looks at her, smiling at her clothes. She catches his look and stands to give him a twirl. Chris claps and hoots in amusement. She laughs and settles down for her snack.

“I got this from you in a place called Los Angeles, California.”

“It’s a very interesting clothing,” he nods, gesturing at her black boots, denim jeans and red top. She shrugs. “How was it? I mean… Does Darren and I—“ Chris glances up to the garden where he can hear his husband and his children laugh. “Are we still together?”

She sits back down, a sad smile appears on her lips. “It’s a bit complicated, in that world. There’s no doubt you two still found each other, and would still love each other.”

Chris raises his eyebrow at her. He understands, not every universe is easy for him and Darren to be together. “But…?”

She throws a look outside, where the blue sky glitters with stars as bright as diamonds and she can see Darren chasing his laughing children in the garden fills with endless green. It’s difficult, her job. Not everything is as smooth as she wishes it can be. Some Darren and Chris never even cross path.

But  _some world’s Chris and Darren_ , ends up living happily ever after. Like this one.

It's worth it.

The smile on her feature is serene and hopeful. “They will get through,” she says. “We’ll see.”

 

_end_

 


End file.
